James jonathan caldwell



thread shifting lever, and

Patented Nov. 12, 19 29 JAMES JONATHAN CALDWELL, OF CHICKAIVIAUGA,GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD- COOSA-THATCHER COMPANY, OF CHATTANOOGA,TENNESSEE, A CORPORATION BALLING MACHINE Application filed June 30,

This invention relates to balling machines.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improvement over machinesof this char.- acter in devices for moving the thread longibudinallyalong the ball, and particularly an improvement of the cam whichoperates the thread moving means.

A further object is to provide an improvement in balling machineswhereby the machine may be operated at a much greater speed thanmachines heretofore known.

In machines of this character it has been customary to provide a doublescrew for moving a lever for carrying the thread along the ball of themachine. Such double screws as have heretofore been used have provedunsatisfactory in that the groove on the screw would'not always reversethe lead properly with a result that the machine would be stalled. Iovercome this difficulty by'providing a groove around a roller and thisprovides a cam track for a cam follower which moves the thread shiftinglever. This groove lies in a plane oblique with respect to the axisofrotation of the shaft upon which the roller is mounted. This providesa positive cam track which cannot fail to function properly duringoperation of the machine.

The maximum speed possible on'the old style baller was 100 yards perminute, and the usual operating speed was approximately 65 yards perminute. The maximum speed on my machine is 500 yards per minute and itis being operated at a speed of approximately 200 yards per minute. Thismachine therefore has greatly increased production over the formermachines.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof andon which similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a balling machine showing my invention,

Figure 2, a sectional elevation on line 22 of Fig. 1,

Figure 3, a detail showing a braking device,

Figure A, a detail view of the cam follower,

Figure 5, a detail view showing means for adjustably securing the pivotpoint of the 1928. Serial No. 289,433.

Figure 6, a detail of the bracket carrying the thread trumpets.

In the drawings numeral 10 indicates the base of the balling machinehaving on each side a forward bracket 11 for supporting the drum onwhich the yarn is wound and the associated elements and rear standards12. Inthe standards on the rear'of the machine a shaft 13 is mounted.This shaft carries a cam which is composed of two wheels 14 and 15mounted upon a hub 16 on the shaft 13.

- The elements 14 and 15 may preferably be two wheels mounted obliquelywith respect to the axis of the shaft 13 and spaced apart so as toprovide a cam groove or track.

Secured at their ends on the base of the machine are two rods or shafts17 and 18. These rods provide a track for a sliding cam follower 19.This follower comprises a sleeve 20 adapted to slide longitudinallyalong the rod 17. The sleeve has an arm 21 upon which a roller 22 ismounted. The outer end of the arm 21 hasa U-shaped notch 23 therein forsliding engagement with the rod 18. The cam follower 19 has a lug 24with a depending pin 25 for pivotally securing upon the lug a lever arm26 to be further described.

The shaft 13 and the cam mounted thereon are rotated by means of a chain27 connecting pinion 28 and a large pinion 29 on the outer end of theshaft 13. Mounted upon the shafts 30 and 31 on the forward part of themachine are rollers 32 and 33. A gear 34 on the shaft 31 drives theshaft 30 by means of a gear 35 on the outer end of the latter shaft andan intermediate driving gear 36. A gear 37 on the shaft 31 drives a gear38 on a shaft 39. This latter shaft has mounted thereon the pinion 28above mentioned. The shaft 31 is operatively connected to any suitablesource of power and provides the main driving shaft for the machine. Aroller 40 is loosely mounted to rest between the cylinders 32 and 33.This roller provides the base upon which the thread is wound and isrotated by frictionally engaging the rotating drums between theperipheries of which it is mounted. The drum 4:0 is mounted upon a shaft41. This shaft has at each end a bracket 42 which has secured upon itsupper end a bearing 43 in which is positioned a plunger 44. This plungerhas on its lower end an arcuate bearing for engagement with the shaft41. A spring 46 positioned between the bearing and the bearing 43provides resilient means for holding the bearing 45 engagement with the"shaft 4 1.

The lower end of the bracket 42 has secured thereto a strap r 47 Thisstrap extends around a cam 48and is secured thereto. The cam is mountedupon a shaft 49. The outer end of this shaft has a drum 50 mountedthereon. Pins 51 and 52 secured in the supporting standard 11 of theframe provide pivot points ifor brake bands 54 and 53 and a'leve'r 56.The lever 56 pivotally mounted upon the pin 52, has an adjustable"weight 57 on itsbu'ter e d, v it may be readily seen in Figii're-B, theWeight '57by means 'ofbra'ke :ands'54'and holds the drum 5Q underconstant friction to prevent its rotation. I

' trumpetsupporting standard 58 is slidably mounted up'o'n shafts 5-9and "tidseoured at their ends in the frame "of the machine.Thisfstandard comprises 'integral sleeve 61 adapted to f'slide on thesha'tt 59. This which is pitetanyfsecm-ed by pin '63 to the arm 26. Onnppm end the standard '38 has asleeve 64'which slides upon the shaft 67.Intermediate the euter trumpets i a oeiitral trumpet 6 8. The arm 26 ispivotally' nioiuft'eda't69 51pm; a bar which is rem vably sec-tired 'bybolts 71150 the base of the machine. As's hown'inflotted lines and inFigure-5fi1ie bai- 70 ma be moved and secured "to the fragile at 7 Qfsothat the pivot point 69 .pivotsat thus vary throw of the'fo'rivard endoEE the lever 26 which carries "the thread caifrying trumpets. I I

"The operation of "the device is as follows: When wiriding a singleball, a threadis passed through the central tiu'mpet and the bar 'ZO isfs'eeured infthe position shown in ftil'l hires in F igure 1. Themachine is then driven by"power app lied to the outer ehd of 'thefshatt31. drums 32 and 33 are rotated and I fictional engagement with thethread earry ngfdrum"the latter is roftatedfthe dram being hfeldinfrictional arr ngement wit "the peripheries of the -ems "by inane er thestrap 47 an the earn 48 which ishelds'ufiiciently by the brake band5'4fto prevent loose rotation. Drive through gears 37, 38, pi'iiieh 28,'belt'27 dg try-29, the cam \vl1ee1sjl4'jand T5 are i-(itated. {Thecainfollowfer rol'ler 22 engaging between the peripheries "of "the oamwheels :14 and 15 is moved batik 1 and forth along "the shaft Thisswings "the nrmae backward and reward to 'move "the thread "carryingtrumpets backward and forward along the spool upon which the thread iswound. Springs 7 5 and 76 secured upon collars 7 8 and 79 on the shaft17 provide for cushioning the strokeof the lever 26 at each end of itstra'v'el.

When it is desired to wind shorter spools the bar 70 is secured upon thebase 10 at the holes 72 and the pivot 69is secured at This shortens thethrow otthe forward end of the arm 26 to provide for depositingth-eithread upon a shorter spool. When operating this form of themachine the thread is passed through the trumpets 66 and 67 and iswoundupon two spools placed end to end upon the shaft 41.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the aft-that various changes bemade in my device without departing from 'the' 'sp-irit of theinvent-ion, and I, therefore, do not limit iiiy'sel-f-to \vhztt is shownin the "drawings and described in the specification, but only as "setlea-11 in the appended claims.

Having thus fully describedhiy said in vention, wha't'i t'laimas newanddesi're to *secure by Lettersl atent; is Y 1. In a ballingIii'rhiii'e a-frame, apai r of parallel cylinders rota-tab'l'y mountedthere'- on, a spool 1n0ented=zvbove said bylin'dis and 7 adapted to restupon and be rotated thereby, a bracket having mounted thereon threaddarrying trumpets for laying thread slang-said spool, a pivot-edlever-supporting said bracket, a shaft supported by the framebf "themachine, a pair of Wheels mounted oblioquely upon said shaft and spacedapart to'providea can'i track between their peripheries, and a camfell-diver upon said lever adapted to engage between the said wheelswhereby rotati'oFn ofSaidoa'm will reciprocate saidthiead carryingtrumpets longitudinally of said spool to lay the thread upon the spool,substantially as set forth. I

*2. In a balling machine a pair 61." "parallel cylinders rotatablymounted on a 'rnachine,-a thread supporting spool sup orted upon theperlpheriesofsaid cylinders, means for hold ing the said spool incontadt with the peripheries fof the cylinders to provide "frictionaldrive between-he cy-linder'sand the spool'co-mprising a strapresiliently securedto ahaft'n the said spool, a cam, the said strapbeing woundaround the cam, and means for holding the cam under aconstantfriction, substantially asset'torth.

3. A balling machine comprising a frame, a pair of parallel "cylindersrotatably "nithinted thereon, a spool mounted above the cylinders andresting upon than to be driven thereby, a bracket slidably mounted ontransverse bars on the frameof the m'aohi-ne, said bracketsupportingthread carrying trumnets'fe'r laying thread along 'the spool, a leverpivota lly mounted onthe fram'e of the machine and "connected to thesaid bracket,a shaftsupp'orted in the frame of the machine and having apair of wheels mounted obliquely thereupon and spaced apart to provideacam track between their outer edges, a cam follower slidably mounted ontransverse bars in the frame, the

cam follower having a roller engaging the track between the peripheriesof the wheels, the said cam follower being connected to the end of thesaid pivoted lever, whereby rotation of the said wheels will cause aswinging motion of the lever to move the trumpets to lay thread alongthe spool, substantially as set forth.

4. In a balling machine, means for laying thread along one or morespools comprising a lever, a bracket mounted upon said lever, threadcarrying trumpets mounted upon said bracket, means for oscillating saidlever comprising a pair of wheels obliquely mounted upon a rotatableshaft having a cam track formed by the peripheries of the Wheels, a camfollower upon the said lever adapted to engage the cam track, and meansfor selectively pivoting the said lever to change the throw of thethread carryingtrumpets along the spool to lay the thread along a singlelarge spool 01' two or more small spools, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chattanooga, Tenn,this 19th day of Jurlile, A. D; nineteen hundred and twentyeig t. JAMESJONATHAN CALDWELL.

